Mojolin: Linux on the Desktop -- missing the mark

Sep 16, 2001, 15:52 (62 Talkback[s])

"...The major problem with moving Linux to the desktop is the fact that it was not first to market. Microsoft got there first and so owns the market. You see the same thing with RedHat within the Linux using community. It's an old rule of thumb, first to market, no matter how imperfect your product, and you get the lions share of that market. Why? Well, once people start using and learning a product, they are reluctant to start over again with a new, better product. It takes them out of their comfort zone. Is this issue insurmountable? I don't think so, but it is something that certainly needs to be taken into account when building a Linux distribution for the desktop.

Ok, so how does one address this issue? Keep in mind we are looking at moving MS Windows users to Linux.

First, the user has to be made comfortable in the environment. It does not need to look or act exactly like Windows, but the GUI controls and actions (mouse, keyboard, menus) should be easily learnable. The desktop environment should be shiny and new and exciting, like a new plaything. GNOME and KDE (there may be others available) both have neat desktop environments that make working on their computer a fun experience."

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